


Box of Ashes

by Eissel



Series: Royai Week 2020 [1]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst and Feels, Developing Relationship, F/M, Ishval Civil War, Letters, Mutual Pining, Royai Week, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:00:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24607369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eissel/pseuds/Eissel
Summary: A series of letters from 1908 to 1909 between a sniper and an alchemist, found in a mislabeled box.It’s hard work trying to keep up communication during a war, but Roy and Riza make do.
Relationships: Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang
Series: Royai Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1778905
Comments: 4
Kudos: 32





	Box of Ashes

**Author's Note:**

> Royai Week Day 1: **_Letters_**
> 
> Roy mentions the word "Ausschreitungen" in one of his letters, which is supposed to be slang for artillery.

_ 7th June, 1908 _

Dear Major Mustang,

I’ve asked Captain Maes Hughes to deliver this letter to you. I hope you don’t mind.

If you remember, before you left, you promised to take me out drinking.

While this may be far from what we both had in mind, my unit on its transfer from Gunja to Daliha was granted a bottle of Rencon Whiskey as a gift from the Brass. Or so they say. Would you like to share a drink with me?

* * *

_ 8th June, 1908 _

Dear Cadet Hawkeye,

(If you were planning to make me suffer by asking Hughes to deliver this letter, you’ve succeeded)

Will 0500 hours do? I will be at the so called “Bunker Hill” at that time. 

* * *

_ 10th June, 1908 _

Dear Riza, 

Please call me Roy, just as you used to. It’s quite strange to see you refer to me as “Major Mustang” in writing. If it’s only in person then it’s fine, but I can’t bear to see that you are still confining yourself to military propriety even when others can’t see. It’s fine to do since we’re trading these off by Hughes. He can be an ass, but he won’t open these letters or anything, so you don’t have to worry about the Court Marital Office.

~~ I’m sorry Riza, I’m so very sorry. ~~

* * *

_ 15th June _ ,  _ 1908 _

Dear Roy,

If you recall the day you returned from the academy, you mentioned that the uniform, while nice, was unbearably hot under certain conditions? While I’m sure you weren’t thinking of Ishval when you mentioned it, you were right. The white coat they give to us only worsens the problem. 

I can’t complain too much, I suspect that it’s my upbringing that makes me adverse to the heat.

How are you? I heard people whispering about you again, are you okay?

* * *

_ 20th June, 1908  _

Dear Riza,

Thank you for worrying, it makes me happy that a beautiful woman is worrying over me. (Please don’t shoot me over that) But I don’t really pay much mind to the whispers, I already know the opinion of the people who really matter. 

As for the heat, I suspect you’re right, your upbringing would make you more susceptible to the heat. I don’t exactly have a foolproof solution to that (other than just take the uniform off, but then that just makes a whole new rats nest of problems), but I recommend trying to station yourself in the shady areas. 

(Springfield says that he’s going to reorganize the troops soon, I think you may be transferred down to Tawil. If that’s the case, stay safe.)

* * *

_ 3rd July, 1908  _

Dear Roy,

Thank you for the photos, they’re hard to keep clean with all the sand, but it’s a pleasant reminder of home. How did you manage to get these?

* * *

_ 7th July, 1908  _

Dear Ri-

Don’t get mad, but I snagged them when we moved out of your old place. I figured you were going to want them at some point, and I just forgot that I had put them with my things when I was shipped out.

I can’t write a long letter, I’m on for night watch, I’ll speak with you when you return in a few weeks.

* * *

_ 9th August, 1908 _

Dear Roy,

There is a part of me that feels that I don’t have the right to be scared of death, but every time I walk back out to the nest, especially at night, I can’t help but be afraid.

(Don’t get a big head about this, but sometimes I end up thinking of our old escapades in the house, when we would sneak around and be as quiet as possible so that my father wouldn’t hear us sneak some sweets or sugar)

I hear that you and Cupel will be joining me down in Tawil, there’s a part of me that longs to see your face, and a part of me that wishes you would stay far away from me.

* * *

_ 12th August, 1908 _

Dear Riza,

I understand, my train will be delayed by 4 hours, please don’t try to meet up with me. We’ll talk the morning after.

* * *

  
  


_ 20th September, 1908 _

Dear Riza, 

Even when we’re together, we’re just that much farther apart, huh? It’s almost as though the Brass want us to never see each other. I heard you got placed on watch duty, is it as bad as I’ve heard?

~~If you would like~~ ~~I can place a request for your transfer, if need be.~~ The unit you were attached to is made of good people though, I was deployed with them for a brief time, a tip: If your gun gets damaged, ask around for Veit Reinhart, you might know him by the appellation, The Jewel Alchemist. I know, I know, but despite the flowery title, he’s a gun nut. He’ll know what’s wrong and how to fix it without you having to spend your money. Just say to put it on my tab if he gives you crap about it. 

My own station is hellish in its own right, ever since Maes was deployed out to Kanda (imagine, all the way on the  _ other side of Ishval _ , do the PTB even care about having functional squads, or did they see that Maes was good at CQC and ship him off that way?), I’ve been mostly conferring with my Lts. which means lots of bickering and revising of plans. 

The entire battalion is supposed to group up later this week, hopefully I’ll see you again then.

All the best, 

Roy

* * *

_ Date unknown _

Dear Riza, 

I heard you were transferred to Kanda, please stick near Hughes if you can, Fessler’s one mean son-of-a-bitch, and he won’t hesitate to make you kill more than you have to. 

All the best, 

Roy

* * *

_ 5th February _ ,  _ 1909 _

Dear Roy,

You needn’t have worried, Fessler was… taken care of. Colonel Grand shot him, or at least that's what I hear from Hughes. I hear that the fighting is almost over on your end, is that true? All the people here are speaking highly of you, I can’t take one step out of my tent without hearing of “the great Flame Alchemist.”

They say that you’re about to end the war.

Best,

Riza

* * *

_ 7th February, 1909 _

Dear Riza,

The claims are exaggerated, as you would know. I’m not that great a man. The siege of Faiz is going steady now, especially now that the Ausschreitungen are at their full capabilities. The war will soon be over.

~~ Love ~~ All the best,

Roy

* * *

“I think that’s all of it Sir.” Riza said, trying to keep her tone level. 

“Mn, seems so.” She watched as he crouched down, making sure all the letters were in the box as a last check, then put the lid on and snapped. 

The papers and box instantly went up in flames, leaving only ashes behind. “Ah, and that had been some of my best writing too.” He bemoaned, though Riza could hear the dull notes of true hurt in his tone. 

“It’s what we have to do.” She reminded him. If anyone found out about the letters, then they would have ample evidence to court-martial one or the both of them, and they couldn’t have that. Not when they were closer every day to achieving their goals. 

“You’re right about that, but I can still feel a little sad.” He argued. Sighing, he kicked the pile of ashes, and scuffed it into the floor with his boot. “All the evidence destroyed, what a way to spend a date night.”

“Don’t speak so loudly Sir, or our efforts will go to waste.”

“Your efforts you mean.” He corrected. Throwing his hands in the air, he left the room. Riza lingered for a second or so after him, simply staring at the place where the box had been. Her hand traveled to her inner pocket, where she had stashed the last letter of the collection.

She knew he had seen her do it, for all his theatrics, he was quite observant when he wanted to be, and there was no way he didn’t notice that there had been a missing letter from the pile. Her fingers pinched and pulled at the now worn paper, wanting something to hold onto to anchor her. 

She knew exactly what letter it was too, the first one she had ever sent him when he had been deployed out at the front. Before either of them had ever really known what they were getting into.

_ Dear Roy,  _

_ I hope you’re doing well, and I hope this letter will make it to you in time. I will be making my way to the Eastern Officer’s Academy in East City soon, to join the military. I know you didn’t want this for me, but I want to follow you, to follow your dream. _

_ We will be seeing each other soon. _

~~_ I love you,  _ ~~

_All the best,_

_ Riza. _


End file.
